Zumba(R) Instructor Melanie Jordan believes everyone should Zumba for health. Discover how Zumba can play a role in your healthy life by helping you lose weight, maintain your weight, get buff, reduce stress and improve your mood.

Silver Sneakers® is the Healthways program that offers members who have this important benefit through their insurance access to free exercise classes and gym facilities.

I currently teach two Zumba Gold classes weekly that are open to the public that are approved Silver Sneakers classes, which means you can attend them absolutely free with your valid Silver Sneakers membership card! Think of it--three opportunities to be healthy and happy and share good times with local friends--all for free!

If you're not a Silver Sneakers member, you can attend these classes for a very nominal fee.

Choose from the following--attend any or all and tell a friend--the more the merrier!

Zumba Gold® is the Zumba Fitness program that's everything a traditional Zumba class is--an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness party--but in this class we take it just a little easier.

There's a common misperception that Zumba Gold is only for the older population, but it's actually for many more people than that, and just because you might be 50+ doesn't mean you automatically have to take the Gold class version.

You've probably noticed your Zumba® Instructor wearing cool Zumba Fitness clothes, and sporting some funky accessories to class. Ever wish you could have access to some of the same looks? Obviously not the clothing that says instructor on it! Well now you can and you can even save 10%!

Simply go to Zumba.com and enter my discount code MELANIE at checkout to get your 10% discount. Doing so helps you put some more money in your pocket, and helps support this blog along with all the others I produce such as The Healthy Food Review.

Besides being colorful and fun, making a small investment in Zumba wear shows you're serious about Zumba and will help be a visual vue to remind you to go to class when life gets hectic. So go treat yourself to a Zumba outfit today and rock out your next class!

Have you forgotten your New Year's Resolution to exercise? Well, maybe this post about how Zumba(R) can help you get your exercise resolution back on track, as published in Triblocal Oakbrook Illinois can help inspire you!

Ever wish you could Zumba® in Oakbrook Terrace Illinois on your lunch break? Well now you can!

Starting up again Tuesday October 23rd and Thursday October 25th, there's no excuse not to do lunchtime Zumba in Oakbrook Terrace Illinois. I'll be leading two 6-week, 45-minute lunchtime Zumba sessions--Tuesdays 12:30 - 1:15 and Thursdays 11:45 - 12:30 at the Oakbrook Terrace Fitness Center, 1 Parkview Plaza (next building over from Ditka's restaurant Kingery and 22nd). And you do not have to be an Oakbrook Terrace resident to take this class! Try the first class absolutely FREE and then sign up if you love it as I'm sure you will!

Join me for Zumba either day, or register for both sessions for twice the benefit. New session blocks will start again after a one week break every 6 weeks so you can keep it going!

Here's a great opportunity to take a calorie-burning, mood-lifting break from your workday, or for anyone to fit in a little "me" time. Zumba newbies are welcome and encouraged. This is a beautiful group fitness room!

I'm also a certified Turbo Kick instructor, and I also do a series of 6-week 45-minute lunchtime Turbo Kick class on Fridays. The next one starts up on Friday October 26th from 11:45 - 12:30. Give it a try!

And coming to the Oakbrook Terrace Fitness Center starting January 8, 2013, it's Zumba Gold for active older adults, beginners and anyone who wants to Zumba at a slightly more easy-going pace. Zumba Gold will be offered by me on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 - 9:45.

To Register For Lunchtime Oakbrook Terrace Zumba and Turbo Kick:

Call Oakbrook Terrace Fitness Center at (630) 574-0420 or stop by at 1 Parkview Plaza, Oakbrook Terrace first floor in the Ditka's restaurant building at the intersection of Kingery and 22nd St.

The investment in yourself and your health is just $33 residents, $38 non-residents per day's 6-week session block--that's just $5.50 a class for residents, $6.33 a class for non-residents. That's in anyone's budget to look and feel great! Register by Friday 8/30 directly with the Center (630) 574-0420 www.obtpd.org or in-person.

Please don't hesitate to call or text Melanie at (949) 285-7770 or email her for questions or more information.

Zumba Love!

P.S. Want to go to class in great looking Zumba wear? Save 10% by entering discount code MELANIE at checkout when you shop at Zumba.com!

So you're faithfully attending Zumba® classes on a regular basis, but you're not losing the weight you had hoped to? No worries, this is a pretty easy fix.

When it comes to losing weight, it's ultimately all about burning more calories than you're taking in, and you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose a pound--pure and simple.

A Zumba class will burn between 400 and 800 calories per session depending on your effort and metabolism (not including the stepped up after burn your metabolism will have post-class), so to lose a pound a week on just Zumba alone, you'd have to do Zumba 4 to 9 times a week while keeping your calorie level the same. Just in case you're curious, as a Zumba Instructor, I teach 4-5 hours per week and practice/warm-up another 4-8 per week depending on whether or not I'm learning new routines.

So if you're not going to Zumba that much, you can see where Zumba alone won't achieve the weight loss you're looking for, but it can be a huge help. So here's what else you need to do, along with Zumba to lose weight:

When I was living full-time out West, the Zumba® classes I took before I became a Zumba Instructor were always about one-third men and two-thirds women. I assumed that was normal until I started spending time in Tampa.

There a funny thing happened, there were no men in any of my Zumba classes, and once I started teaching my own, I only stumbled upon two of them. In taking one of my ZIN Jammer classes (an instructional class for Zumba Instructors only), we had one male instructor out of 30 attending.

Frankly I'm puzzled. There are many men who go out dancing, so why not Zumba? The creator of Zumba, is male for goodness sakes (Beto Perez)!

Most people who take Zumba® classes are incredible. They're enthusiastic, dedicated and contribute very positively to the group fitness experience with their energy and presence. But in any group, you're bound to have those who don't always do right by their fellow classmates.

We love you and know you don't mean to be annoying, so to help you out, here are some tips for proper Zumba class etiquette.

1. Shut Off Your Cell Phone Upon Entering Class

It's REALLY annoying to your classmates and Zumba Instructor to hear a ringtone that is not part of the song that's supposed to be for the workout. There's plenty of great music happening in a Zumba Fitness class, so no need to collaborate.

Keep the cell phone in your bag, in a locker or cubby. You're working out and focusing on being in the moment and doing your best. You don't need it.

2. NO Texting

In case you still kept your cell phone on you, and decided you wanted to sneak in some texts on

It's Summer, and there are a lot of things competing for your time. There are vacations, visits from out-of-town family, kids out of school, and the beach. Then there's the hot weather and just plain feeling lazy. And so Zumba® class or other exercise is often the thing that gets sacrificed as something that's OK to miss.

And you know what, it's perfectly normal to miss some Zumba classes when life happens. Surprised I would say that as a Zumba Instructor?

I know I love teaching my Zumba classes, and I have lots of people who are really dedicated students, but the reality is that everyone is going to miss class at some point. Even Zumba Instructors will miss classes at times, and have someone sub for them. I just did it for the first time myself last week when I went on a long holiday weekend trip.

Once you get into Zumba, you're going to likely hear about something called a Zumbathon®. What's it's all about?

A Zumbathon is a special Zumba® extended length event that is usually held to support a cause. Several different Zumba instructors will teach at the event, which is typically from two to three hours in length (with breaks).

Zumba Fitness itself has partnered with The American Heart Association for its Party Hearty™ Zumbathon series to fight heart disease, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation for its Party In Pink™ Zumbathon events to help find a cure for breast cancer at certain times of the year.

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This website ZumbaForHealth.com is owned and operated by Melanie Jordan, a licensed member of The Zumba Instructor Network. Please visit my profile at http://www.zumba.com/profiles/131676/melanie-jordan.

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